Two-cycle rotary plant



1,625] 0 Aprll 26, 1927. c. P. BROCKWAY 9 TWOCYCLB ROTARY PLANT Filed Ju1y27. 1921 :5 sheets-sheet 1 [H iuvsum.

Carl F. brockway .arroalvsy April 26,1927. c. P. BROCKWAY 1,625,790

TWO-CYCLE ROTARY PLANT WWW Carl P. brockvey ATTORNEY IN VEN TOR.

1 1,62 Apnl 26, 1927. C. BROCKWAY 5 790 TWO-CYCLE ROTARY PLANT Filed July 27.. 1921 a Sheats-Shefc 3 m :3: nos

INVENTOR. Carl D. Brockway ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 26, 1927.

UNITED ST P ATE N Tl OF FICEE;

CARL P. BROGKWAY, 0F TOLEDO, OHIO, ASSIGNOR 'lO INDUSTRIAL RESEARCH COR- PORATION, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A CGREORATION OF DELAWARE. i

.TW'OCYCLE ROTARY PLANT.

Application filed July 27, 1921. Serial No. 487,974.

This invention relatesto rotary engines of the internal combustion type, and contemplates the utilization of improvements in both the electrical and mechanical elements of thistype of power mechanism.

An object oftheinvention is the provision of a muffler as a counterbalancing unit for a single cylinder gas engine thereby vfacilitating the employment of air'cooling.

Another object isto provide means which will permit of a free nonfrictional jointbetween therotatable muftler member and the nonerotatable member.

Still another obiect is the utilization of exhaust gases in a rotary engine for heating the intake gases.

An object also of theinvention is the provision of electrical contact members in the ignition system which are operable by centrifugal means thus having particular utility in connection with rotary engines.

The invention also has for an object 'the utilization of a current source connected with the dynamo-electric machine which may have a voltage different from that of the dynamo and at the same time be normally independent of battery units.

An object also is the utilization of the socallcd dead-coil space in a dynamo for ignition purposes.

A further object is to provide means for cooling the engine bearingby means of the intake gases.

An object also is the provision of an engine piston having internal heat radiating ribs.

.Furtlier objects and objects relating to economies of manufacture andv details of con struction will aecome apparent as the description of the invention proceeds.

A preferredemboliment of the invention illustrated in theaccompanying drawings wherein- Figure l is a vertical section of the combined engine and dynamo unit taken through the shafting;

Figure II is a section through the engine along lines II- II of Figure I;

Figure 111 is a view showing the timing device in position on the engine;

Fi nre IV is a wiring diagram of the electrical connections including floatirfi ment; the engine having support through the stationary crank shaft .12, bearing 13,

standard 14-, and the dynamo having support through the bearing 14, and standard .15

upon the common base 16.

The engine is rotatably mounted through the bushing 17 upon the stationary'crank shaft 12 which extends into the crank case 18 ofthe engine. The crank shaft carries on the crank case end the crank arm 19 to which, by means ofthe screw 20, the roller bearing 21 of the connecting rod head 22 is attached.

i The connecting rod 23 is rotatably mounted on the wrist pin 24: which pin has apivoted bearing in the skirt 25 of the piston 26 so that rotation of the engine about the fixed crank shaft bearing will, by reason of the.

offset crank arm pivot 21., cause recurring reciprocation of the piston in the explosion chamber 27.

The engine is of the .two cycletype and has an intake passage 28 which communicates with an inlet port 29 inthe crank case so positioned that when the pistonis in its upper position the port is exposed to the crank case interior permitting inflow of fuel A conduitBO is formed in the cylinder wall 31 having a lower and upper outlet so positioned that whenthe piston isrin its lowermost position the lower outlet registers with the port 32 cut in the piston skirt 25 and the upper outlet opens into the explosion chamber 27 above the piston head 33. It is apparent therefore that when the piston is in the lowermost position unburned gas is entering the explosion chamber from the crankcase through conduit 30. A deflector 34 of conventional design is utilized to give the incoming gas an upward movement. 7

The outlet or exhaust port'35 is so placed in the engine Wall that when ,thepisto-n is at lower lien thepert is completely uncovered. A. pipe 36 conducts the expelled gases to the mufller 37 which will now be described.

The mutiler 37 is designed to form a counter weight for the engine cylinder 31. and inclored piston 26. For this purpose the lTiLll'llEt cylinder 38 is tormed as an extension of the engine crank case 18 and is positioned on the side of the engine axis opposite the engine member. The mufiler has a mass approaching in value that of the engine member and includes in addition to the cylindrical wall 38, a head 39 to which is integrally secured an inwardly projecting central post 40 having outwardly and laterally extending partition plates ll fixed therel at a iproximately regular intervals. An outwardly projecting plate 42 extends from the closed inner end 4-3 ot the mutller to a point adjacent the mulller cyliiuler head 8!.) thus dividing the mufiler cylinder radially into a larger chamber 44- and smaller chan'ilaer llconnected by a passageway ill. The chamber it is preferably cylindrical in t ransverse section and the plates -l1 conform in outline to the interior of the chamber. their edges approaching the chamber wall but terminating at a distance therefrom so that an annular passageway 47 around each plate is formed. In addition passages -18 are cutin the various plates at points which vdo not register radially in successive plates. The exhaust pipe 36 counec with a port 4-9 opening into the inner end oi the ll'ltlll'lQI chamber 4%.

The gas mixing and intake chambers and valves are positioned in and adjacent the crank shaft member. For a portion of its length exterior to the engine crank case and within the bearing 13, the crank shaft 12 is hollowed, the inner end of the hollowed portion 50 connecting with the intake conduit 28 and the outer end opening into exterior ports 51 cut into a. cap

An air valve 53 and a fuel valve 54 are connected to the intake chamber 50. The cap 52 carries a cup member 55 opening axially and outwardly in which is slidably mounted a valve stem 56 carrying a valve member 5? and a push button 58 and a coil spring 59 so mounted as to urge normally the valve member in an outer direction. The valve member 57 is designed to engage in a valve seat (.30.

Adjacent the air uilve seat 60 and inwards thereof is a transverse post- (il. having a con duit (ii therein which connects at its lower end with the fuel pipe ('33. The upper portion of the post 61 retains the fuel valve 54 which is shown as a screw valve having a thumb head 64: and a setting plate 65 contacting with the periphery of the thumb head. The pointed end 66 of the fuel valve contacts in a seat 67 about midway the post 61 and'an outlet conduit 68 is here attached whi h extends axially within the intake chamber to a point, beyond the most contricted section (if) (d a Venturi tube Til. The jmrtion Tl oi the Venturi tube and the hollow inner portion 50 of the crank rhalit form the mixing chamber for the engine.

The fuel pipe tit, extends into a tank '1 placed in the bar-e 'lti. Directly beneath thaft'uel pipe terminal in the tank l2 the base ol the tank is lowered as at it and a sleeve 7% tired to the fuel pipe terminal and having its lower end slotted as; at 7:; rests upon the lowered base 73 of the tank. The sleeve 74 is also provided with an inlet valve it which is held in a normally closed position by means of a spring; 77. The lower portion 7 3 communicates with an external oil drain Til by means of a drain conduit T9 which latter is ordinarily i'losrd by means ot a plug 80.

The chamb r "iii extends rzulially toward the engine shaft and is then oii'sct axially as at 81 terminating in an annular U-rhapcd channel 82 opening outwardly and ar'ally from the engine. The channel re tors with a similar Ushaped channel 93 fixed to the bearing 13, the edges of the channel being adjacent, the inner edges contacting and the outer edges 83 being sutficieutly mated to form a non-frictional joint thereb permitting passage of gases theretln'ough. In the channel 83 the stationarv exhaust port is formed to which the exhaust pipe St is secured The cooling features; include JDLHW-T for directly cooling; the engine explosion chamber and piston and means for cooling the exhaust gases prior to the passage thereof past the engine hearing.

The explosion chamber cooling; is provided for in transverse tins 85 formed integral with the cylinder casing exterior. Rotation oi this cylinder cools it through well known laws oi conduction and radiation.

Piston cooling is provided for in ribs Flt? formed integral with the inner surface oi the piston head 33 and extending radially on the inner surface oi the piston skirt. in this arrangement the cool crank case gases movin;- up along;- the heated. piston walls and head to the port 32 ahiorh heat thcrol'rom.

The cxl'iaust gases are cooled by conduction and radiation 'lrom transverse [his F51 ffil'l'l'lfld integrally with the walls o I the mu ltler cylinder. In addition the heated ga es expand into the mufllor chambers ll colr tactin c with the partition surfaces 1T relcasing heat thereto which in turn is conducted to the mulller head. and radiated.

In order to prevent largely the escape of gases from the muffler into the atmosphere immediately about the engine through the open joint between the rotary and stationarv parts of the engine, utilization is made (if the air pressure developed through the retation of the engine unit in a drum shaped till casing ,88 which communicates, by ,means of a conduit 89 in,the;base, with the hollow standard '14:. From thestandard lt an annular channel .90 leads around the exhaust channel 83and the loose joint83 between the registering channels 82 and 83, the inner edge91 of the channel, 901hav'ing a close but small frictional bearing on the channel mem- 1381282. 7 7

It is apparent thatjthc airpressure developedin the engine casing is transmitted to the annular joint 83 thus tendingto prevent egress of exhaust gases at thispoint and thus making posslble non-contacting yoint between the heated rotating member and nonrotating channel members82 and '83. Furtl181,tl16 air pressuredeveloped forces some air :through the joint 83 which air being relatively cool and mixing with the exhaust gases, tends. to I diminish the temperature of of the intake gases.

The electrical features. of the unit include a dynamo-electric.machine .for power purposesand an ignition'system :for the engine.

The dynamo-electric.maehine 11 is generally of conventional design and includes a frame .100, laminatedlield poles 101., shunt field winding 102, series field winding 103,

armature .10 1 and commutator 105. The field poles are retained by screws 106 and the dynamo frame secured to the base 16by screws 107. ,From the commutator connection is madethrough the power circuits-.108, and switch 109 tothe load 11.0 as indicated diagrammatically in Figurev.

The ignition is not taken from the dynamo mains since for reasons of efiiciency the dynamo voltage is at a higher value than is ordinarily usable with the ignition coilsand contacts employed. Utilization is therefore made in the igniton system ofan extra coil 111, lligurefviined in the armaturein the usual way and subjectto the dynamoheld, but entirely diseonneetedfrom themain dyname-circuit, One terminal112 of. the coil 111 is grounded andthe other terminal- 1123 leads throughthe switch 114, ignition coil 115, and interrupter 11b toground A condenser 117 is shunted around the interrupter.

)The interrupter 116 combines two contac members 117 and 118 fixed to the rotatable engine and a cam member 119 fixed to the dynamo trame100. The non-movable contact member 118 includes a bracket 118 tastenedtothe engine by screw 120 and separated from the engine by insulation 121. A contact element 122 is afiixed to the plate. The movable contact member 117 includes a over the cut out portion 128 o'tlthe cam the contact member moves outwardly, impelled by centrifugal force, thereby permittingthe contact elements 122 and 127 to make contact. It is of course evident thatauxilary means such asspringdeyices may beutilized to normally, impel the cam member outward- 1y butthese devices are not essential. An oil cup 150 having an oil conduit 129 .is employed to oil the cam surfaces.

During starting, while for some ,desi ns oi units the speed of the dynamo develops a suthcient voltageiorignition in others it is desirable that additionalineans be provided and in Figure V, ,I have shown diagrammatically as connected to the ignition system a small ignition batteryi180 which is connectibleto the ignition circuit by means of the switch 11% above mentioned. Tith this arrangementin case the dynamo fails to. develop theproper voltage the switch 114 is connectedto the battery thereby securing proper ignition currentpfor starting.

Figure TV shows a modified electrical arrangement wherein a storage battery 11311 is floated from the dynamo mains 108,.a1id a connection made between the switch lltand dynamoanain 108through a. switch 132and circuit133. in this arrangement at starting the storage battery is utilized for ignition through switches 11taud132 and connection 133. Subsequentlyin case'the batter, main dynamo circuits are broken, ignition may still. be obtained through the auxiliary coil circuit 111 as described avilh reference to Figure V;

The operation of the gas eugi scribed follows.

-e as de Starting is secured by energizing the dynamo as motor if a storage battery is tloatingon the mains orby means 01 the hand crank 92. Rotation of theengine causes a flow of airthrough. the intake V enturi tube thus increasing the suction therein caused initially by the pieton movement.

Suction in the intake draws up fuel through the inlet pipe 63 into the mixing chamber and the mixed air and fuel is then drawn into the engine c'auk case in the usual way.

Compression of the crank case gases occurs when the piston descends and when the port 32 registers with the conduit 30 gas flows along the piston wall and head cooling the same.

Subsequent to explosion the exhaust gases pass into the muffler wherein aft-er successive expansions the gas is expelled through the annular channel 83 about the intake and into the exhaust pipe 84.

The rotation of the coil 111 in the dynamo field produces an alternating flux in the ignition circuit, which latter is successively opened by the interrupter at the point of compression when the current value approaches a maximum value thus giving proper ignition to the engine.

It should be noted that the electrical coil apparatus is designed to rotate with the engine unit except in the cases where an auxiliary battery are provided. In these arrangements connection between the rotating and stationary circuits may be made by rotary contacts 150 as diagrammatically indicated in Figures IV and V and the i nition coil positioned at any suitable stat1onary point in the circuit intermediate the battery and engine.

Having thus described the invention I desire to claim for Letters Patent: 1

1. In a rotary gas engine a mulfier therefor, said mulfler comprising a primary and secondary chamber radially extending from the engine axis, the primary chamber being adapted to conduct exhaust gases away from the engine axis and the secondary chamber being adapted to conduct exhaust gases toward the engine axis.

2. In combination, a rotatable muffler and stationary means for conducting gases from said mufiier.

3. In a rotary engine, the combination of a rotary muffler; a stationary outlet for the mufiler; and means for accelerating movement of gases through said outlet and from said muffler.

4. In a rotary engine, the combination of a rotary mufller; a stationary outlet for the mufi'ler; and means dependent for operation on the rotation of the engine for accelerating movement of gases through said outlet and from said muffler.

In a rotary engine, the combination of an exhaust mull-lei: and a plurality of outlets from said. muliler, one of said outlets being normally iuaiillaiued in an inoperative condition while the engine is running.

6. In a rotary engine of the internal combustion type, an intake conduit connected thereto, and an exhaust conduit surrounding said intake conduit.

'7. In a rotary engine of the internal combustion type, the combination of a sta tionary c'ank shaft; an intake conduit in the crank shaft and an exhaust conduit surrounding the crank shaft.

8. In a rotary engine, the. combination of a crank shaft, a power cylinder mounted rotatably on said shaft, a mufller cylinder also rotatably mounted on said shaft in up position to the power cylinder, a piston movable in said power cylinder and connected to the crank shaft, a fuel supply, means for feeding fuel to said power cylinder, an exhaust conduit intermediate the power cylinder and unuller, and stationary means for removing the exhaust gases from said inuiller.

9.1n a rotary engine, the combination of a crank shaft, :1 power cylinder mounted rotatably on said shaft, a muffler cylinder also rotatably mounted on said shaft in opposition to the power cylinder, a piston movable in said power cylinder and con nected to the crank shaft, a fuel supply, means for feeding fuel to said power cylinder, an exhaust conduit intermediate the power cylinder and mufller, stationary means for removing the exhaust gases from said muiiler, and means forpreventing leakage of exhaust gases between the muflier and said stationary removing means.

10. In a rotary engine, the combination of a crank shaft, a power cylinder mounted rotatably on said shaft, a muffler cylinder also rotatably mounted on said shaft in opposition to the power cylinder, a piston movable in said power cylinder and connected to the crank shaft, a fuel supply, means for feeding fuel to said power cylinder, an exhaust conduit intermediate the power cylinder and inufller, a stationary exhaust conduit, an open connection between said conduit and muffler, and means for preventing leakage of exhaust gases through said connection.

11. In a rotary engine, the combination of a crank shaft, a power cylinder mounted rotatably on said shaft, a muilier cylinder also rotatably mounted on said shaft in opposition to the power cylinder, a piston movable in said power cylinder and connected to the crank shaft, a fuel supply, means for feeding fuel to said power cylinder, an exhaust conduit intermediate the power cylinder and u'iutller, a stationary exhaust conduit, an open crmneclion between said conduit and mulller, and means for preventing leakage of exhaust gases through said connection, said means including an air compressor and a conduit for leading co1npressed air to said connection.

In testimony whereof, I afiix my signature.

CARL P. BROOIUVAY. 

